Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Just out of curiosity. I’ve been asking for days and nobody can give me an answer. Why do people call you ‘ChuChu’?”

Panting softly, Chuatury Panlunch straightened up and looked back over her shoulder as her latest defeat scrambled to their feet and made a run for it. It wasn’t her first fight since arriving at Asticassia, and it certainly wouldn’t be her last. Someone had to put the arrogant little Spacians in their place, after all. And on a regular basis, it seemed like fate was choosing her for the job. Not that she minded. “Who the fuck wants to know?”

Her observer chuckled softly, stepping out from behind the corner she’d been peering around. Chuatury felt her heart sink at the sight of the girl. Miorine Rembran. The Bride. The daughter of the president of the Benerit Group. As far as the student body went? Essentially ‘the’ Spacian. Nothing good could come from this encounter, and Chuatury was equally sure that she wouldn’t survive punching her way out of it. “Indulge me. Please.”

She’d really rather not, to be honest. Nothing good had ever come from interacting with Spacians in her time at Asticassia. At all. Ever. Chuatury turned away from Miorine and then paused. Then again, she’d never had a Spacian try to engage her in polite conversation. Or… whatever this was. She looked back over her shoulder again. Would it really hurt to be polite for a few seconds? Exchange a few words, satisfy the girl’s curiosity, walk away, and go right back to punching every other Spacian who started something with her?

And so Chuatury shrugged as she turned to face Miorine. “It’s, uh…” She absently reached up, swiping at the blood running from her nose. She’d won, but the boy had gotten a good hit in. She’d probably need a bit of medical attention when she got back to Earth House. “It’s because I hit like a train.”

Miorine clapped her hands together as she took a step closer to Chuatury. “Delightful. I assume you know who I am? Not to be egotistical, but everyone does.” Chuatury nodded slowly; yes, she was in fact vaguely familiar with the most popular girl in the school. As the silver-haired girl had so bluntly put it, everyone was. “How much do you know about the duels that regularly occur here at Asticassia? The framework of rules, the oversight provided by the Dueling Committee, et cetera and so forth?”

Frowning, Chuatury crossed her arms over her chest as Miorine continued to approach her slowly. “Enough to know that I don’t want anything to do with the ridiculous fucking games you Spacians play. Why?”

“Shaddiq… which is to say Shaddiq Zenelli? The head of Grassley House?” Chuatury nodded to indicate her understanding, and Miorine pressed onward. “He was challenged to a duel recently and demanded that it be resolved through a fencing match, rather than the more common mobile suit battles. He enjoyed the novelty of it all, I assume. Now that I’m aware that such a thing is a valid possibility? I want to see you challenge someone to a duel, Chuatury. And settle it through boxing.”

That… didn’t sound awful, to be honest. She’d never dueled before, never having a reason to, but she did so love to punch people. School sanctioned violence? Presumably against a Spacian, since none of her housemates had mentioned running afoul of Miorine lately? Sign her the fuck up. Chuatury’s eyebrow inched upward. “You want me to punch someone? I don’t hate it. Why me, though? My stance on Spacians is pretty well known and, well, you’re a Spacian.”

“Because you’re very good at punching people, Chuatury.”

Yeah, that tracked. Chuatury nodded in acquiescence and then cocked her head to the side. This honestly wasn’t where she’d expected this conversation to go, but she was kinda enjoying it. Maybe she’d keep going, see how it played out. Miorine didn’t seem quite so bad. For a Spacian. “Who are we talking about here? Some girl in the management program who scuffed your boots or something? I’m torn between not wanting to do a Spacian’s dirty work and wanting an official reason to punch the ever living fuck out of some arrogant-“

“Guel Jeturk.” Chuatury’s eyes went wide and Miorine grin turned distinctly wicked. “I want you to, as you say, ‘punch the ever living fuck’ out of my fiancée.”

“First of all, don’t swear. It’s weird.” Miorine raised an eyebrow even as her grin morphed into a smug smirk, and Chuatury shifted in place. “You’re all sophisticated and elegant and stuff. Don’t swear. Second of all, you’re fucking with me, right? He’s the Holder. I don’t know much about the fine details of Asticassia politics, but I do know what happens when someone beats the Holder in a duel.”

“And? Think of it as the ultimate way to fight back against the establishment. The corporations. The Spacians that you hate so much.” Miorine invaded Chuatury’s personal space, her lips brushing against the shorter girl’s ear as her chest pressed against Chuatury’s. “They’ve spent the last year making an entire culture out of fighting over one particular prize. You should show them all who you really are. Take their prize away.”

Shivering, Chuatury grabbed Miorine by the shoulders and forced her back a step. “But I’m a girl. And you’re a girl.”

Miorine’s smirk remained firmly in place. “You kiss girls.”

That made Chuatury pause, her face screwing up in disbelief. “You know who the fuck I’ve dated?”

Miorine waved a hand airily. “People talk. Your exes talk. There’s actually an entire ‘We Hate Chuatury’ club comprised of a mixture of your exes and the people you’ve beaten up. They’re trying to find a patron willing to duel you to avenge them. You can’t be as adept a schemer and planner as I am without keeping your ear to the ground, Chuatury.”

That… made a lot of sense. She had her fair share of enemies at this point. She’d been a bit less discriminating in the company that she’d kept when she first arrived at Asticassia. Made some bad decisions. It wasn’t surprising to hear that they were banding together. But Chuatury needed to focus. There was an offer being made here. How did she feel about it?

She was positive that she was being used, first of all. Her and Miorine weren’t even acquaintances, much less friends. The silver-haired girl was clearly using her. To be rid of Guel? Possibly to visit Earth? She’d made no secret of her desire to and who better to help her fulfill that dream than one of the members of Earth House?

So that meant the question was… how did Chuatury feel about being used? Her first instinct was to cuss Miorine out and walk away. This was just like a fucking Spacian, to try and twist an Earthian into doing their bidding. So much for hoping that Miorine was different. Except… she was. Because she was trying to manipulate Chuatury into elevating herself to the level of a Spacian. She was basically handing the rough and tumble girl power and influence on a silver platter. When was the last time a Spacian tried to do that?

When she looked at it from that perspective? Her instinctive anger faded a bit. Chuatury let one hand drop away from Miorine’s shoulder and used the other to rub her chin as she eyed the heiress speculatively. She wasn’t averse to a quid pro quo relationship in theory. She scratched someone’s back, they scratched hers. That was the way to real world worked. Nobody did something for nothing. At least nothing worth doing.

A Spacian, any Spacian, was… less than ideal. It was compromising her ideals to get ahead, and a part of her intensely hated that. But Miorine was right that this could be a quick way to piss off a lot of people that she hated even more than she hated the idea of working with this particular Spacian, and she was down for that. And if Miorine made it worth her while? And didn’t ask her to do anything that compromised who she was at her core? Then maybe she could learn to live with the idea of working with this one Spacian.

Chuatury cleared her throat. “Okay. So let’s just pretend that I’m willing to go along with this. Which I’m undecided on; you’re still a Spacian after all. But what’s in this for me? Because Guel has… what, nineteen wins under his belt at this point? Most of them challengers for your hand. People are going to come for me if I do this. You’re a lot of heat that I really don’t need in my life.”

“Hmm. What could I offer you? How about… me?” Chuatury’s jaw dropped and Miorine’s smirk grew a bit playful, the silver-haired girl bringing her hand up to her chest. “What’s the matter? You’re the one who kisses girls. You should be delighted.” Chuatury continued to gawk at her the same way she would have regarded two mobile suits that collided. “What do you think, Chuatury? I… could be yours.”

There was just one massive problem with that idea. “You’re still a Spacian.” Miorine cocked her head to the side and Chuatury gestured up and down at the shorter girl. “You. You’re a Spacian. And you’re trying to use me, just like every other Spacian turd I’ve ever met. But I can swallow my pride if this little arrangement of ours can benefit me. That said?” For once in her life, Chuatury actually found herself considering her words. She had a concern she needed to express - carefully - not a desire to bring the conversation to an abrupt end. “Even if I was willing to overlook the Spacian thing. Which… I don’t know, maybe you’ll grow on me. Who knows. But look at things from where I’m standing. Pretend to be out here looking in on you and Guel. And maybe understand why this isn’t the tempting offer that you think it is?”

Miorine nodded in understanding. “Mmm, yes. I am a bit of an ice princess, aren’t I?”

Snapping her fingers, Chuatury nodded emphatically. Great way to put that. And evidently it didn’t offend Miorine. “Yes. Fucking that. Exactly.”

“Well to put it simply?” Miorine shrugged. “I don’t like Guel.”

That made Chuatury snort derisively. “And you do like me? Me, the girl who hates all Spacians and isn’t afraid to let them know?”

“You seem more mature at least?” Chuatury’s jaw dropped again and Miorine closed the distance between them again so that she could reach up and cup the rosette’s chin. “I’ve been observing you for the last few days. You’re very strongly opinionated, to say the least, but you have firm convictions and you’re willing to stand up for them. You’re passionate. Fierce. The kind of person I wouldn’t mind being by my side in the future. The kind of person I could trust to stand beside me. And if nothing else, you’d certainly make things more interesting for me. Guel is a spoiled child pretending at being a man. Can you really blame me for not liking him?”

To be honest, Chuatury couldn’t think of many people who genuinely liked the Jeturk heir. He mostly just had sycophants trying to ride his coattails to success. Maybe his brother liked him? Then again, his brother was one accident away from unimaginable wealth and power, so maybe not. Chuatury sighed and gestured back and forth between them, trying to get the conversation - and her brain - back on track. And doing her best to ignore Miorine’s hand on her face, which showed no signs of moving. “Okay, so what if he is? I don’t give a fuck about him. Focus on us. Would you even know how to treat me better? Still not sold on this idea. I like girls, sure, but maybe not enough to become the Holder over one. And so as of right now, it feels like you’re the only one getting anything out of this bargain. You’re free from Guel. I have a target on my back for the rest of my time here.”

Miorine nodded slowly as her hand slid upward to caress Chuatury’s cheek. “You know what? That’s entirely fair of you, I suppose. Very well. You’re a piloting student. With that beat up old Burion trainer of yours. The Holder would need to participate in mobile suit duels eventually. I could pull a few strings, get you a better suit.”

The offer made Chuatury scoff to try and mask her surprise and excitement. A real, proper mobile suit? She was already a force to be reckoned with in her customized trainer. A proper suit for her… for Earth House… could change everything. “Victory is never decided by mobile suit performance alone.“

“Nor by the skill of the pilot alone. I’m well aware.” Miorine smiled warmly at Chuatury. “I’m also quite aware that you’re an exceptional pilot. That was a factor in me seeking you out. I simply wish to tilt the odds further in your favor.”

It took Chuatury a moment to push down her excitement and analyze the situation objectively. And then she realized something. “Wait a fucking second. If I beat Guel and then lose the first mech duel I’m in, you’re right back where you started. You gain just as much as me from giving me a better suit. Maybe even more. That’s not a fucking gift, that’s you helping yourself out in a different way.”

A soft chuckle bubbled up out of Miorine. “Guilty, I suppose. Very well. What would you like out of our partnership? What can I give you to secure your help?”

Chuatury hummed softly even as she gave into temptation and nuzzled the warm palm cupping her cheek. What did she really want in exchange for becoming the Holder? That was honestly a difficult question. She was no trophy, and wouldn’t have become one even if she could. She had too much pride to spend the rest of her existence hanging off someone’s arm. And most of what she wanted out of life was outside of Miorine’s ability to provide. Peace on Earth, prosperity and respect for Earthians, equality between Earthians and Spacians. Hmm. What did she want? What did she really want?

And then it hit her. She couldn’t possibly be a trophy wife, because she was no prize. Meaning she’d have to contribute something to a relationship with Miorine if she could maintain her status as the Holder long enough for the competition to come to an end. Maybe she could become the Benerit Group’s ace pilot, earn her keep that way. But maybe she could also actually… be a wife to Miorine. Be an equal partner in their relationship. She wasn’t against that in theory. She did like girls. And this girl had a certain appeal to her, if she was being honest.

Oh, and there was the whole ‘she’s the future leader of the Benerit Group’ thing… but mostly Chuatury was into the fact that Miorine was hot.

“A date.” Miorine’s eyes went wide, her confident smile faltering for the first time, and Chuatury nodded decisively. “I want to go inside that greenhouse thing you’re so proud of and sit with you and eat a meal and talk. If you’ll give me that, I’ll challenge Guel to a duel as soon as we’re done. Hell, you can leak to him that we’re on a date near the end and he can come challenge me himself.”

Miorine gestured back and forth between them. “You’ll challenge to become the Holder… in exchange for a date?”

“I’ll become the Holder in exchange for not being the Holder of Asticassia.” At Miorine’s confused look, Chuatury repeated the girl’s gesture, motioning back and forth between them. “I promise that I’m not going to be Guel. I’m not going to use you. But at the same time? I’m not going to be your lackey. I’m not going to be your tool. I’m not going to let you use me and manipulate me and twist me. I’m going to be your fiancée and someday your wife. And I wanted to be treated that way. I want to hold hands, and go on dates, and-“

“Kiss?” A faint blush began spreading across Miorine’s face. “I’ve never kissed anyone before. My fiancés included.”

That made Chuatury throw her head back and laugh. “And you were doing so well, too. Had me going there for a minute. I thought you knew what the fuck you were doing with this whole seduction attempt of yours.”

Still blushing, Miorine scuffed her shoe against the ground. “Yes, well… not all of us have the luxury of your experience, Chuatury. I’m doing my best here. But very well. I accept. When do you want to have our date? I… there’s a pressing matter that I need to do some research into.”

“Reading smutty fiction doesn’t count as research for our date, Miorine.” As a darker blush spread over Miorine’s face again, Chuatury laughed. This was probably going to end in disaster, but at least she was going to get to kiss a pretty girl. And punch Guel Jeturk in the face in a school sanctioned way. “Do you just want to learn firsthand? I’m a very good teacher, or so I’ve been told.”

Still blushing, Miorine drew herself up to her full height as her hand finally dropped away from Chuatury’s face. “Very funny. So you’re sure about this? A date, a duel, and we see where things go from there?” Chuatury hesitated for a moment before nodding. This was absolutely going to be a disaster and she couldn’t wait to see it unfold. “Very well. Tomorrow after class. At my greenhouse. Don’t be late. And I’ll provide the food. I don’t trust you to prepare something up to my standards.”

As Miorine turned and walked away from her, Chuatury huffed softly. On one level, she was a little offended. Earthians had pioneered most of the food growth and preparation methods that Spacians relied on to get by. She couldn’t cook, sure, but she could have asked the other members of Earth House to help her impress her date.

On the other hand… Miorine had a surprisingly nice ass for a skinny little Spacian.

Huh.

Chapter Text

“So. Question. Why me?”

Chuatury couldn’t help but be amused as she sat on the floor of the prefabricated greenhouse pod and watched Miorine prepare something for them made from tomatoes, herbs, and Earth House’s homemade cheese. Not that she could blame the girl. Their cheese was delicious. It was just a little ironic from someone who had refused to let the rosette contribute to the food situation directly. But hey. At least she’d get a decent meal out of this date.

Looking over at her, Miorine raised an eyebrow. “I thought we covered this yesterday when I first approached you? Simply put, because I believe that you have the ability to successfully punch Guel into submission. Also, we have compatible personalities. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Nothing more, huh?” She’d spent a lot of time thinking this whole thing over last night, and Chuatury had come to the conclusion that… she was in fact willing to help Miorine and see where this took her. But not as the Holder. As the silver-haired girl’s fiancée. And so she was going to approach this like any other relationship she’d been in. Namely, flirt aggressively and hope for the best. Surging to her feet, Chuatury darted forward and pinned Miorine to the desk, her arms on either side of the taller girl. “You sure about that?”

Blushing darkly, Miorine peered down at Chuatury for a moment before pointedly looking away. “I suppose you’re not unattractive.”

Chuatury laughed delightedly. “You’re a tsundere! How cute!” Miorine huffed softly but didn’t deny it, making the rosette laugh more. This was going to be more fun than she’d imagined. She loved the chase of romancing a tsundere. “I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting to peel back the confidence and discover that about you, but I am completely here for it. So just out of curiosity, are you a lesbian like me, then, or are you bisexual or..?”

“Does it really matter?” Miorine eyed Chuatury uncertainly. “Objectively, is my orientation actually relevant to anything?”

Chuatury thought for a moment and then nodded. “Kinda? I mean if you’re straight and just doing this to escape Guel, I don’t really love that idea.”

A soft noise of understanding emerged from Miorine. “Understandable. I’ve had perilously little control over my own destiny, in a romantic sense or otherwise. So at this point in time, I’m not entirely sure what I would categorize myself as… but you can rest assured that I am not straight.”

You know what? She could work with that. Grinning, Chuatury looked Miorine up and down before noticing something. “Are you wearing heels today?”

Holding one foot out to the side, Miorine glanced down at it. “Yes. I decided that I liked being the taller one and so I decided to tilt the scales a little further in my favor. Is that a problem?”

Chuatury chuckled and pressed a kiss to the silver-haired girl’s cheek. “Pfft. You may be taller than me, but I’ll always be looking down on you, Spacian.”

That quip made Miorine narrow her eyes at the shorter girl and her faint smile morphed into a pronounced scowl. “Must you? I’m well aware of your enmity with my kind. But if this is going to work, I’m going to need you to put your resentment aside and… actually, you know what? You can still punch every other Spacian if you want. I genuinely don’t mind. I’ll hold your bag while you do it. But the entire point of this little arrangement was to find someone who treats me better than Guel.”

She had a point there. The joke wasn’t particularly funny, and had been fairly tasteless of her. If she had to open her mouth? Chuatury realized that she genuinely preferred Miorine’s smiles and blushes to her anger. Flirting with the girl was already turning out to be much more fun than pissing her off the way she did with other Spacians. Especially if they were going to try to turn this into something real. “You’re right. That was kinda fucked up of me. Can I get a do over, MioMio?”

Miorine’s eyes narrowed even further. “MioMio?”

Snickering softly, Chuatury let her hand slide across the desk to grab Miorine’s, interlacing their fingers. “What? I’m ChuChu. You can be my MioMio.”

“Rejected.”

“Hmm. Then how about-“

“Rejected.”

“You didn’t even get to hear it yet!”

Rolling her eyes, Miorine glanced down at their hands and gave Chuatury’s a squeeze before meeting the shorter girl’s gaze again. “So. I believe I was commenting on our height difference when you made a poor decision?”

That sounded about right. And frankly, shame on her. She was better at flirting than that. Surely she could put in a better showing with the girl who had literally no idea what she was doing. There was pigtail pulling and then there was… whatever she’d just done. It wasn’t even a fine line that she’d crossed by accident, she’d just been a bitch out of habit. She needed to stop that shit and fast if this was going to work.

Resolving to do better, Chuatury reluctantly pulled her hand away from Miorine’s and took a step back, eying her companion. Miorine seemed to like her being forward. Why not run with that? “You know, I don’t hate it?” The rosette surged back inward, spinning around to press her back against Miorine’s chest. Tucking herself under the taller girl’s chin, Chuatury grabbed Miorine’s arms and wrapped them around her. “I don’t hate this at all.”

After standing behind the girl stiffly for a few seconds, Miorine relaxed a little and tightened her grip on Chuatury. “This… isn’t awful, I suppose.” Pfft. Tsundere. “I think I could get used to this.”

“That’s the spirit.” Chuatury chuckled as Miorine let out a soft huff of amusement, covering the taller girl’s hands with hers and interlacing their fingers. Miorine wasn’t complaining and if there was one thing Chuatury was good at, it was providing affection. “This is actually my favorite part of being in a relationship, I’m not going to lie.”

There was a moment of silence and then Miorine made a confused noise. “This? I would have guessed the kissing, considering how many girls you’ve kissed since arriving here.”

Heh. Yeah, she was a bit of a ladykiller, wasn’t she? Or at least Chuatury had been until she’d realized that her family was right and there was no such thing as a good Spacian. That had cut into her kissing. Well, realizing that Spacians did in fact suck… and Nika had decided they were better off as friends. “My family was really affectionate and touchy feely. Growing up, I came to associate love with contact. So I seek it out. Love this shit.”

Miorine gave her a faint squeeze. “Does it have to be something this obvious, or..?”

“Hmm? No. Just like, brush your fingers against mine when we’re walking together. Or bump our legs together under the table while we’re eating lunch.” Chuatury thought for a moment before tapping a finger against the back of Miorine’s hand. “That reminds me, if we do this, you’re going to rally with Earth House from now on. I’ll let you sneak off to wherever you’ve been sleeping before now if you want, but you’ll eat with us and come by our compound after class.”

“I will?”

“Do you want me to punch Guel or not?”

“I do.”

“Well there you go, then.” Miorine let out a soft huff of laughter and Chuatury took a moment to luxuriate in her warmth. Then something that had been nagging at her the previous night came back to her. “Serious question for you. Let’s go back to it. Why me? I can’t be the only person that you’d trust to punch Guel in the face.”

Humming softly, Miorine gave Chuatury’s hands a squeeze. “To punch him? Perhaps not. To be tolerable company once you have, on the other hand? That list is considerably smaller.”

Chuatury peeked up at the girl and raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Who else is on it?” Not that she was the jealous type or anything. But it never hurt to know who she needed to keep an eye on, lest she be replaced. After all, she was only here because Miorine had decided she deserved better than Guel. That same judgement could come for her someday if she didn’t play her cards right.

“You.” Oh. “Out of the entire Asticassia student body, you happen to be the sole individual at the intersection of the qualities that I considered. Which is to say, piloting ability, personality, and…” Trailing off, Miorine looked away. “Attractiveness.”

That made Chuatury crow in delight. “You really are into me, aren’t you?” Miorine huffed softly but smiled and Chuatury kissed her cheek again. “It’s okay to admit that you are, you know. I think you’re pretty too.”

Miorine eyed the smaller girl uncertainly. “Name one thing you like about me.”

“Your ass.” Miorine’s eyes went wide and Chuatury slipped from her arms as she erupted into laughter. “What? You have a nice ass.”

Miorine blushed and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. “You’re ridiculous. I do not.”

Holding up her hands, Chuatury wiggled her fingers. “I could show you how much I like it.”

“You will not.” Miorine peeked over at Chuatury, huffed softly, and then looked away again. “Absolutely ridiculous.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll keep my hands to myself. For now.” Moving to stand next to Miorine, Chuatury peered down at the forgotten dish that the girl had been working on. “Is that caprese salad?”

Miorine looked over at Chuatury, a startled expression on her face. “You know what that is?”

Snorting, Chuatury took the bowl from the girl and inspected it. Did she know what it was? In theory. Had she ever had it before? No. But she knew Miorine prized her tomatoes and had spent a bit of time last night looking up what form their snack might take. “Where did you get olive oil from? No Spacian conglomerate makes it. We have to bring bottles with us when we come back from Earth for the semester, and we ration it carefully.”

“At the risk of being snobbish… you do know who my father is, right?” Miorine took the bowl back from Chuatury and resumed stirring it. “As long as I stay in my pretty little gilded cage, I’m free to do - and buy - whatever I want.”

That made a certain sort of sense. Also, her response made for an amazing opening that Chuatury absolutely wasn’t going to waste. “So yeah. About that. The cage, Earth stuff, et cetera. Why do you want to go to Earth so bad? It’s not that great a place these days. It’s home, but it’s… kind of a shit hole thanks to the Spacians. It’s my shit hole, but it’s a shit hole.”

Raising her head, Miorine stared off into space wistfully. “Escape. Anonymity. Freedom. If I make it to Earth? All of this just… goes away.”

Chuatury furrowed her brow. “So if I become the Holder and take you to visit my family, I’m going to roll over one morning and find you gone?”

Miorine looked over at her. “We’re going to be in the same bed?”

“Focus, MioMio.”

“Don’t call me that.” Miorine scowled and bumped her shoulder against Chuatury’s. “In all seriousness? Maybe having a Holder that I tolerate, much less enjoy the company of will give me a new perspective on things. For now? Maybe… don’t bring me to Earth with you. Because I make no promises.”

She found that she couldn’t take offense to that. If she was in Miorine’s shoes, forced to watch people fight over her hand so they could trap her in a loveless marriage and exploit her? Chuatury probably would have made a run for it the first chance that she got too. “Okay. So no Christmas with my family. Gotcha. Well… serve it up? I love fresh vegetables, and your tomatoes are probably the freshest thing for miles around.”

Scooping a helping each into two bowls, Miorine passed one to Chuatury before taking one for herself and leading the smaller girl over to sit against the doorframe that separated her office from the area where her prized tomatoes grew. “Take a seat and tell me more about you. If you’re going to be the Holder, I need to know you better.”

Chuatury sat down and settled her bowl in her lap, stabbing her fork into a piece of tomato. She brought it up to her mouth, fighting back a moan as the flavor hit her tongue. Miorine’s tomatoes were amazing! No wonder she was so territorial over her greenhouse! She was hiding a treasure in there! Looking over at the girl, she made an uncertain noise. “Do you have to? My life before coming here wasn’t exactly sunshine and roses.”

“If anyone’s going to understand coming from a traumatic upbringing, it’s me.” Chuatury raised an eyebrow and Miorine shrugged. “My mother died when I was young. My father and I are… my father and I.”

Ah. Oof. Chuatury stretched her legs out, tangling them with Miorine’s. “Rather fucking not if it’s all the same to you. So… favorite color?”

Miorine let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the smaller girl. “Purple. You?”

“Pink.” Chuatury gestured up at her hair. “It’s kinda my thing.”

“I suppose pink could become my thing.” Miorine winked playfully at Chuatury, prompting the rosette to erupt into laughter. “Favorite class?”

That actually made Chuatury stop and think for a moment. Piloting seemed like the obvious answer, but it wasn’t going to be very relatable to Miorine. Not a great way to keep the conversation going. But she also wanted to be honest with the silver-haired girl. Honesty was a good quality in a relationship. “Okay so my absolute favorite is piloting, for obvious reasons. Close second? Math.”

Miorine’s eyes lit up at that answer and Chuatury knew she’d chosen well. “I love math. I imagine you’re more into physics and geometry while I lean more toward accounting and other business maths, but it’s good to know we have a little something in common.” The two drifted into silence broken only by the clinking of their forks against their bowls, and then Miorine spoke up again. “Why did you say yes?” Chuatury looked up. “You didn’t have to. I’m going to be, as you put it, a lot of ‘heat’ in your life. I have to know, before we go through with this. Why did you say yes?”

Well fuck, this was suddenly getting serious. Especially for a first date. Then again, they were only going to have this one chance to get to know each other before Chuatury made her attempt at becoming the Holder, so perhaps it was understandable. There were a couple of answers she could give to that question, some more flippant than others. But as much as she wanted to make a joke? Chuatury could read the room… well, the prefabricated greenhouse pod. And knew it wasn’t the time. “Because you saw something in me.”

Miorine scooted across the floor, her knees drawing up to her chin as she moved closer to Chuatury in the confined space. “Elaborate.”

“I’m… I’m really not a pleasant person. Especially to Spacians, but to pretty much everyone other than my family.” Chuatury reached up to rest her palm on Miorine’s leg. “I think the nicest thing you could call me is prickly. I’m stubborn. Argumentative. Aggressive. And so, so angry at the world. But then you looked at me and… I’m honestly not sure what you saw. But you clearly saw something. And it made me think really hard about myself and realize that maybe there could be more to me. I have no idea who that person is going to be, but you seem to think she exists.”

Eyes widening, Miorine shook her head slowly. “Oh. Oh no. Chuatury, I concocted this plan solely after watching you fight someone who insulted you. I saw the passion and fire that you displayed, and realized that was the kind of person I wanted in my life. I like your aggression. I like your stubbornness.”

Chuatury’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what?” She gestured down at herself. “So you looked at all this mess and decided it sounded like a good time?”

Biting her lip, Miorine snickered softly. “In essence? Yes.”

Shaking her head, Chuatury chuckled softly. “What a pair we make. I thought you wanted to make me better. You just want me to keep being my worst self.” She eyed the taller girl speculatively as she returned her hand to Miorine’s knee. “So. Just putting this out there. Speaking of being my worst self. I do kiss on the first date.”

Miorine smirked in response to that. “And what, you think I’m just going to give that sort of thing to you? Especially my very first kiss? No, Chuatury, you’re going to have to come over here and take it. If you think you can.”

Oh. So it was exactly like that then. Fuck yeah. Chuatury grinned wickedly as she surged forward, forcing Miorine to shift her legs a bit as she climbed into the girl’s lap. “You know what? I think I want to try. I really fucking do.” And so she reached up and tangled her hands in Miorine’s hair before bringing her lips crashing down on the silver-haired girl’s.

Miorine went stiff beneath her before relaxing and leaning into Chuatury, encouraging the rosette to deepen the kiss. She considered going for tongue before deciding… they had all the time in the world ahead of them if things went according to plan. There was no need for her to rush the girl.

Breaking the kiss, Chuatury leaned back but kept her fingers tangled in Miorine’s hair. The taller girl peered up at her dazedly before narrowing her eyes. “Who said you could stop?”

“Greedy greedy.” Chuatury threw her head back and laughed, a genuine and joyous noise, so rarely heard from her. Then she leaned back in and kissed Miorine again. Far be it from her to disappoint, after all.

“What the hell is going on here?!”

Chapter Text

“Both parties, deposit your souls on Libra's scales.”

Grinning smugly, Chuatury stood with her arm looped around Miorine’s waist possessively. Across from her, Guel Jeturk glared at the two of them, while Shaddiq Zenelli seemed inordinately amused by the situation. Scattered around the Dueling Committee’s lounge were a handful of other Spacians, watching the proceedings with interest. Getting discovered kissing in the greenhouse by Guel was a bit more direct a path to this point than either girl had anticipated but, well, they could work with it.

“The duelists are Guel Jeturk and Chuatury Panlunch.” Shaddiq looked back and forth between them. “At the agreement of both parties, this will be a one-on-one match in the main gymnasium. The format: boxing. An interesting choice, if I do say so myself. I doubt anyone will, but for formality’s sake I must ask… does either party have an objection?”

Chuatury smirked at her opponent. “You can always walk away, you know. Spare yourself the humiliation. Well, spare yourself more humiliation. I don’t think there’s any coming back from walking in on your girl with someone like me.”

Bristling, Guel shook his head vehemently. “No objections, Shaddiq. As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“You? Enjoy hitting a girl? Why am I not surprised.” Chuatury looked over at Shaddiq. “And same, I’m good. Can we get on with this shit?”

Shaddiq nodded agreeably and then gestured to Chuatury. “Chuatury Panlunch. What is your stake in this duel?”

“If I win? Well, apart from becoming the Holder, I suppose?” Chuatury gave Miorine’s waist a squeeze. “I want Jeturk to get down on his knees and kiss my little Earthian feet.”

Guel’s face screwed up in disgust. “You’re a vile creature, Earthian.” He looked over at Shaddiq. “My stake is that if I win, Panlunch will never set foot in my fiancée’s presence again.”

Chuatury raised her hand, looking around the lounge curiously. “Just to be clear, what happens if Miorine decides to set foot in my presence? I’ve been told I’m a pretty good kisser. She may want more.”

“It’s a valid question.” Miorine looked around with the best innocent expression that she could muster. “I was having a nice time before Guel interrupted. And she’s a really good kisser.”

Growling, Guel stabbed a finger in their direction. “You’re going to learn your place, Miorine, if it’s the last thing I do!”

Chuatury snorted. “Sounds to me like she’s decided her place is under me, asshole.”

That elicited a loud laugh from Shaddiq. "Alea iacta est. The duel is approved." Turning to Chuatury, he grinned. “You’re my kind of girl, Panlunch.”

“For a Spacian turd, you’re not so bad yourself.” Chuatury looked over at Miorine and gave her waist another squeeze. “Ready to watch me beat up your soon to be ex-fiancé?”

Making eye contact with Guel, Miorine grinned viciously. “I was born ready.”

Guel angrily stalked out of the Dueling Committee lounge and Chuatury followed a bit more sedately. With Miorine by her side, she made her way through Asticassia’s halls to the girls’ locker room adjacent to the main gymnasium. Opening her locker, she pulled out her school gym uniform and a bonnet before looking over at Miorine curiously. “Are you going to watch me change?”

Blushing, Miorine looked away for a moment before peeking at Chuatury out of the corner of her eye. “Am I?”

A soft snicker escaped Chuatury as she unzipped her signature puffer jacket and hung it in her locker. Idly, she wondered if she could talk Miorine into buying her one in Holder colors after she ascended to the position. That would be kinda cool. Then she unzipped the front of her uniform, peeling off the jacket to reveal her black bra. There was a muffled groan from Miorine and she looked back at the girl. “You doing okay?”

“I…” Miorine continued to peek at her as she blushed. “I tend to prefer my privacy and change separately from the other girls. You’re the first girl I’ve ever seen in a state of undress.”

Chuatury chuckled. “Pfft. ‘In a state of undress’. You’re so proper sometimes. I’m half naked, girl. But you can look. I don’t mind. You can touch, too. If you want.”

After hesitating for longer than Chuatury would have in her shoes, Miorine darted forward. Reaching up with both hands, she ran them over Chuatury’s back. “Your musculature is exquisite, Chuatury.”

Chuatury shivered as Miorine continued to explore her back. “So, that’s your thing, eh?”

“Kinda, yeah.” Miorine hesitated for a moment before leaning in to press a kiss to Chuatury’s bare shoulder blade, her hands still roaming over the girl’s skin. “You just sorta have this… raw magnetism to you. I can see why you’ve been so popular with the girls.”

“Yeah, good old fashioned manual labor on Earth builds muscle in a way that Spacians don’t tend to. And I’ve exercised religiously since I got here. Piloting isn’t for the weak.” Chuatury raised her left arm, flexing it. “Did not expect you to be into it, but I’m not mad.”

Miorine peppered little kisses along Chuatury’s shoulder and then down her arm to her bicep. Then she paused and - to the rosette’s surprise - bit down on her bicep. Chuatury let out a squawk of surprise, and Miorine jerked back. “Sorry. I… sorry. I just felt an impulse and gave in.”

Turning to face Miorine, Chuatury reached out and grabbed her by the hips, pulling the taller girl back toward her. “You surprised me. I didn’t mind. Wasn’t expecting it, but I didn’t mind.” Grinning wickedly, she spun them around and pressed Miorine against the locker next to hers. Then she flexed her muscles and lifted the taller girl into the air, letting Miorine’s feet dangle off the ground a few centimeters. “Do you wanna come with me when I work out from now on? You can watch.”

Wide eyed, Miorine looked down at the floor and then back to Chuatury’s face. “Yes. Absolutely. I… you have no idea how arousing this is.”

Leaning in, Chuatury kissed along the silver-haired girl’s neck. “I have an idea, yeah.” She looked up at Miorine. “You wanna just skip the duel and make out for a while?”

“Tempting. Truly tempting. But our plans as they stand depend on this duel.” Miorine pressed a kiss to the tip of Chuatury’s nose. “How about you defeat my fiancé and then we can… celebrate properly?”

“You know what? I like the way you think.” Chuatury lowered Miorine back to her feet and then returned to her preparations. She’d worn the good bra today for her date, but didn’t think Miorine would survive her changing into a sports bra. Besides, this probably wasn’t going to require terribly much effort on her part. Guel seemed like all bark and no bite.

And so Chuatury shucked her school uniform shorts and pulled on her gym uniform quickly before reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. “Do you like my hair, Miorine? I… there aren’t a lot of girls around here with hair like mine.”

Miorine let out a soft hum and reached up to sink her fingers into Chuatury’s twin pink puffs. “I like it. It’s very different from mine, but I like it. Can I braid it at some point? Hair like yours is easier to braid than hair like mine. I could probably have some fun with it.”

Fingers began tracing over her scalp and Chuatury leaned back into the touch. “Yeah, I think I’d be down for that. Can you gather it up into one mass for me? Jeturk doesn’t strike me as the hair pulling type, but I’ll do a protective hairstyle anyway.”

Carefully removing her hair ties, Miorine coaxed Chuatury’s pink hair into a single puff at the back of her head before taking the bonnet from the shorter girl and slipping it on. “Is there a lot of hair pulling in boxing?”

“I know literally nothing about boxing except that it means I get to punch Jeturk in his stupid arrogant face.” Pulling away from Miorine, Chuatury grinned excitedly. “Speaking of which, let’s go punch Jeturk in his stupid arrogant face.” Grabbing Miorine by the hand, she led the taller girl out into the gym where the entire Dueling Committee and Guel were waiting for them. “Sorry. Miorine got distracted by my back muscles.”

Squawking in embarrassment, Miorine swatted the rosette’s arm. “Chuatury!”

“She bit me, too.”

“Chuatury!”

“She digs girls who can lift her.” Chuatury stretched her arms up over her head. “Hey. Spacian. Ready to get your shit rocked?”

Guel narrowed his eyes. “Shaddiq, do we have to wear protective gear? I genuinely feel a desire to just punch her in the face.”

Chuatury shrugged. “I’d make a joke about you liking it raw, but I’m pretty sure you’ve never even been kissed before.” She looked over at the designated observer. “I’m down to bare knuckle brawl, though. Do we have to do the whole ritual? There’s not really a ‘fix release’ or anything for this. Just… yell ‘go’ and we’ll start punching?”

After a moment, Shaddiq grinned widely. “I like that. Both parties, face off.” Guel fell into a somewhat awkward looking stance, raising his fists in front of him. Chuatury yawned widely. “Go.”

Hoping to reclaim his dignity, Guel lunged forward immediately, throwing wild punches at Chuatury. She bobbed and weaved, easily avoiding each telegraphed strike, which only seemed to make Guel angrier. And sloppier. “I’m going to make you pay for embarrassing me, Earthian!”

Chuatury cackled and continued to evade his attempts to hit her. This was actually sort of fun, she realized. Maybe she could force all challengers for the title of Holder to face her like this? Although the jiggling was… less fun. Definitely a sports bra next time, Miorine be damned. “No. No you’re not. But you are about to ride the C Train.”

And she drew her right fist back and slammed it into Guel’s jaw.

The boy promptly collapsed bonelessly to the mat, and Chuatury stared down at him in disbelief. Was that… it? For all his bluster, the Jeturk heir couldn’t take a punch? Chuatury looked over at Shaddiq in askance, and the boy made his way over and crouched down. After a few cursory checks, he nodded. “We have a winner.”

There was no holographic banner over her head declaring her win, but Chuatury knew the results were official all the same when her gym clothes shifted from Asticassia Green to Holder White. She smiled proudly and looked over at Miorine. “To the victor go the spoils.”

A noise that Chuatury was hesitant to call a giggle escaped Miorine and she gleefully made her way over to join Chuatury on the mat. She stared down at Guel intently for a stretch and then drove her foot into the unconscious boy’s crotch. “God I hate that boy.”

Off to the side, Elan Ceres shook his head. “Barbaric.” He nodded to Chuatury all the same. “Congratulations, Miss Panlunch. Enjoy your victory while you can. I doubt Miss Rembran’s admirers will give you much time to rest on your laurels.”

Yeah, Chuatury could pretty much guarantee that Guel at a minimum would be gunning for her the moment that he woke up from his unplanned nap. She looked over at Miorine. “So. About that mobile suit.”

“Plans are already in motion.” Miorine hooked her arm through Chuatury’s and gave the smaller girl a gentle tug. “We should discuss them away from curious ears. Let’s go back to my room.”

Chuatury raised an eyebrow even as she allowed herself to be led away. “Oh, so you’re that kind of girl, then. Fucking nice.”

Before they could depart, Shaddiq cleared his throat. “I would be curious to know what the answer to that question is, Miorine. No student in Earth House - Miss Panlunch included - is sponsored by a mobile suit manufacturer. Miss Panlunch herself pilots… a heavily modified Burion trainer, if I’m not mistaken? Burion having its own house here at Asticassia. One not allied with Earth House, last time I checked.”

Miorine and Chuatury exchanged looks, and the rosette gestured for her fiancée to proceed. “They’re going to find out the first time I’m challenged to a duel, Miorine.”

“Yes, well, I was hoping to cultivate an air of anticipation and mystery.” Miorine rolled her eyes before turning back to Shaddiq. “Now that I'm fully committed to the best interests of the Holder and their growth and improvement, the Benerit Group will graciously be outfitting her with a mobile suit drawn from one of its many subsidiaries. And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

Undaunted, Shaddiq leaned forward excitedly. “Tell me it’s a Grassley.”

Miorine shook her head sharply. “I will not. You’re just going to have to wait until her first official duel. I promise it’ll be well worth the wait, though. Especially if Chuatury and her companions in Earth House rise to the occasion the way they have with her Demi Trainer in the past.” With that, the silver-haired girl turned away and tugged commandingly on Chuatury’s arm.

Looking down, Chuatury grinned. As long as she didn’t become too overbearing? Letting her fiancée be a little demanding was cuter than she’d anticipated it would be. “That’s my cue, Spacian turds. I’d say see you later… but I’d really rather not.” And she followed Miorine back into the locker room.

The second the door closed behind them, Chuatury found herself pushed back against the wall as Miorine pressed her lips against the smaller girl’s feverishly. They broke apart and Chuatury opened her mouth to make a joke, only to find herself pushed back into the wall and kissed again.

As they continued to kiss, Chuatury felt Miorine’s hand slip under her gym shirt and start sliding upward along her stomach. When it reached her ribs, she brought her hand up between them and grabbed Miorine’s wrist. “You’re moving fast.”

Scratching her nails against Chuatury’s skin gently, Miorine smiled at her. “I’m free. You freed me. Why shouldn’t I be… delirious with happiness?”

“Because you’re not. Not until your birthday.” Chuatury kissed Miorine’s nose as the taller girl broke into a pout. “What? You’re not. I have to win every duel between now and then. And then you’ll be free.”

“Mmm, fair, fair.” Miorine pouted for a few more seconds before returning the favor and kissing the corner of Chuatury’s mouth. “Still. Allow me to bask in my good fortune for a little bit?”

Chuckling, Chuatury released Miorine’s wrist and leaned back against the wall. She watched as the taller girl’s hand inched upward a little further, paused, and then pressed flat against her chest with Miorine’s thumb just barely brushing the underside of Chuatury’s breast. “So. What are our plans for the rest of the day? I’m seeing your room, evidently.”

“Hmm. I do intend to kiss you more.” Miorine pulled away and dug out her phone, tapping at the screen rapidly. Chuatury’s phone pinged and she laughed out loud at the sight of a calendar invite to the event ‘Kiss More?’ set for an hour from now. “Does that work for you?”

Laughing even more, Chuatury shook her head as she accepted. “Nerd. But I guess I chose this. Sure. Works for me. What else is on your calendar for this afternoon?” Miorine raised an eyebrow, tapped her phone a few more times, and another invite pinged Chuatury’s phone. “Touch a breast? Five minutes after we start kissing again? Ambitious. I’ll RSVP to that.”

Grinning widely, Miorine tapped her phone a few more times. “Well then what about..?”

Chuatury looked down at yet another invite. “Rejected.” Miorine looked up, her face falling, and the rosette chuckled softly. “MioMio, I’m not going to join a ‘Goodnight Call’ from across the bed. Maybe some other night.”

Her grin returned as Miorine blushed at the response. “You’re sleeping over? Now who’s moving fast?”

“Who said anything about sleep?” Chuatury winked playfully and Miorine’s jaw dropped as her blush intensified. When her expression became contemplative, Chuatury burst into laughter. “I’m fast but even I’m not that fast. No, I just… enjoy sleeping with people. Literally sleeping. My family is very close and back on Earth I just got used to… it’s stupid, I guess, but-“

Miorine reached up, pressing a finger to Chuatury’s lips. “Chuatury. You don’t need to explain yourself to me. It’s an incredibly reasonable request. Especially since we’re dating now. If you want to literally sleep with me? It’s the least I can give you, considering what you just gave me.”

Oh. Well fuck yeah then. Chuatury recovered, grinning teasingly at her new girl… wait. She had a whole ass fiancée now, didn’t she? Damn. That had literally just sunk in, and was going to take a little getting used to. “Wait, do I get a ring?”

Miorine arched a brow at that, still blushing faintly. “You’re the groom. If anyone should be asking that, it’s me.”

“Oh. Huh. I mean, we’re both girls but… yeah, okay, I can be the groom.” Chuatury drew herself a little straighter. “Give me and the Earth House crew like, a day or two tops. We have some of the best mechanics in Asticassia and machine a lot of our own parts. I’m pretty sure that I can whip something up for you.”

That made Miorine’s jaw drop. “I was kidding, Chuatury.”

Grinning smugly, Chuatury grabbed Miorine’s left hand and raised it so she could kiss the girl’s knuckles. “I’m not. It’s not going to have a giant fancy diamond or anything, but I’m gonna give you a ring. And I’m going to expect you to wear it.”

A tear beaded at the corner of Miorine’s eye. “I’ll treasure it. And I’ll never take it off. I promise. As long as you keep winning duels, it’ll never leave my finger.”

Good. Chuatury leaned in and kissed Miorine’s lips. “Just out of curiosity, what’s the opposite of a slow burn romance? Because I feel like that’s what we’re doing.”

“A fast wet?”

“What?”

“What?”